


Entry Object Prognostication, or: Sburb's Foreshadowing Strikes Again!

by lucidChthonia (liquidCitrus)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Replay Value AU, SBURB Guide, Walkthrough Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 23:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3151886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liquidCitrus/pseuds/lucidChthonia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Very little attention has been paid to the object which is created and used to begin one's session. However, the Entry Object is, through circumstantial recursion, often a valuable indicator of the potential events in your session. As such, it can be used to predict the later development of each player's storyline.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Entry Object Prognostication, or: Sburb's Foreshadowing Strikes Again!

Entry Object Prognostication   
or: Sburb's Foreshadowing Strikes Again!   
lucidChthonia (9) ts31.25

Very little attention has been paid to the object which is created and used to begin one's session. However, the Entry Object is, through circumstantial recursion, often a valuable indicator of the potential events in your session. As such, it can be used to predict the later development of each player's storyline. With the help of the Seer Network I have gathered a list of items used to Enter the medium, how they were used, and their possible effects on the session.

+---------------------------------------+  
| I HAVE AN ENTRY OBJECT. WHAT DO I DO? |  
+---------------------------------------+

Here is a simple checklist/flowchart for figuring out what to do with your Entry object. Really, this isn't a big deal. You're prophetically obligated to survive until Entry; it's too early to panic.

1) Do what comes naturally. If nothing comes naturally,  
2) Do what is logical to do with the object. If you're not sure and you have time,  
3) Look up how to use the object. There are often scraped video tutorials on Pits. If you don't have time,  
4) Try breaking or attacking the object. If you can't access the object,  
5) Wait. Sometimes Wait is an acceptable Entry item use.

+----------+  
| THE LIST |  
+----------+

Description of the infobox:

====Name of object====  
 **Frequency:** Common, Occasional, or Rare.  
 **Origin:** This is where, as far as we know, the entry object gains its importance.  
 **Associated Story:** This is what the object generally implies for your session. Note that, particularly for  Occasional and Rare items, this is frequently speculation; please don't take this as the only possible interpretation.

**Actions:** This is what you do with the object to Enter (also known as the trigger sequence). Percentages for frequency are given for  Common and Occasional items; Rare items have their actions simply listed by frequency of use because using percentages may be misleading for extremely small samples.  
"Attack" refers to breaking the object with your chosen specibus.  
"Break" refers to breaking the object by directly smashing it against an object or surface, tearing it apart, etc.  
"Wait" refers to having the object sit undisturbed until it activates of its own volition.  
"Use" refers to using the object in the same way as the object it resembles (spinning a top, playing an instrument, tightening bolts with a wrench).  
"Assist" refers to having your server player "use" the object for you.  
"Other" refers to something that cannot be quantified in the above system. (Parentheticals describe what happens.)

**Note** : Any further comments on the object's trigger sequence.  
 **[ Warning]**: This object may signal a possible instability in your session! Details will be provided.

====Apple====  
 **Frequency:** Common  
 **Origin:** The apple, in Abrahamic legend, was offered to the Innocent (most commonly Eve) by a Temptress (most commonly a snake), and the eating of the apple is said to have imbued the Innocent with forbidden knowledge (i.e. original sin).  
 **Associated Story:** Losing your "innocence" (apples have an unusually high appearance ratio in first sessions and native reroll sessions); gaining knowledge, rising to your circumstances. Often associated with Heir or Ward.  
 **Actions:**  
92% Other (Eaten, or at least bitten into.)  
07% Attack  
01% Wait  
 **Note** : "Attack" only works with blades - knifekind, razorkind, bladekind, and 1/2 versions of the above. Also peelerkind, we saw that once.  
 **Note** : The apples/temptress story is sometimes interpreted to feature a pomegranate, fig, or other fruit. Strangely, other fruit does not appear as Entry items.

====Battery====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** An object used to store electricity.  
 **Associated Story:** Learning to judge your own strength and endurance. Possibly associated with longer-than-normal sessions.  
 **Actions:**  
Use (slotted into a device with an appropriately sized battery slot)  
Break  
 **Note** : Usually appears as a power cell appropriate to a nearby common electronic appliance, although in one case it showed up as a Leyden jar instead (to a player who had an avid interest in science).  
 **Note** : Don't eat it. Just don't.

====Bottle====  
 **Frequency:** Common  
 **Origin:** Bottles are used to hold drinks. Bottles filled with champagne were broken over the bows of new ships to "christen" them on their first journey.  
 **Associated Story:** Departing on a long-awaited journey, eagerly leaving your past behind, often only to end up circling back to the beginning with a greater understanding of how much value your past holds.  
 **Actions:**  
71% Break  
23% Attack  
05% Assist  
01% Other (Some bite the top off as for a wax bottle, or open it and try to drink the contents.)

====Dice====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** Dice are small polyhedra with various numbers of dots on each side, used as a primitive random number generator. They are associated with luck and chance.  
 **Associated Story:** If the dice are rolled, the session will have heavy use of Light/Law mechanics. If the dice are attacked, it is likely that there will be significant gamebreaking. A coplayer is especially likely to have Token.  
 **Actions:**  
90% Use  
10% Attack  
 **Note** : You may need to roll the die or dice several times to come up with the number(s) required to trigger the entrance script.  
 **[ Warning]**: If your dice have been attacked, your session is bugged and it will be necessary to subvert game mechanics simply to proceed. This may stand for as little as a pendant transfer after a death, or as much as an Incestuous Frog Breeding event.

====Disk====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** Used to hold digital data, music, etc. This category includes floppy disks (which come in a flat square container) and vinyl records (which are extremely large plastic disks with grooves on the surface).  
 **Associated Story:**  
 **Actions:**  
86% Use (played in appropriate player for the type of media you were given)  
14% Attack  
 **Note** : Not to be confused with the Sburb disk itself.  
 **Note** : There is an unconfirmed rumor that a data-storage grub may be possible for players from biotech worlds, instead of a disk. There should be spare cables inside your troll's hive for connecting them; there should also be ports on the grub's back for plugging in. Ignore the squelching noise this makes; as long as there isn't a high-pitched squeal coming from the grub, you put the connector in correctly.

====Egg====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** Reproductive receptacle for many species, sentient and non-sentient.  
 **Associated Story:** Birth. Rebirth. Renewal. Spring. You know, the obvious stuff.  
 **Actions:**  
94% Wait  
06% Assist  
 **Note** : Frequently hidden and brooded by Sprites, Guardians, or really whoever comes cross them, including nonplayers. Thus the apparently low incidence of breaking or attacking.

====Flower====  
 **Frequency:** Common  
 **Origin:** The mating displays of sessile plants. (Much nicer than the mating displays of mobile plants. That was a bad presession.)  
 **Associated Story:** Coming into one's own - sometimes associated with Rage, oddly enough. If plucked, may imply impermanence, or false appearances falling away. If left to wait, may signify drawing energy and nourishment from circumstances. Also associated with Life and Light, obviously.  
 **Actions:**  
79% Break  
11% Attack  
06% Wait  
04% Assist  
 **Note** : The rumor that playing "s/he loves me, s/he loves me not" by plucking the petals of a cruxite flower will produce an accurate prediction is false. Not that this stops most people, apparently, judging by the stats.

====Gun====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** A weapon. (That was pretty obvious.)  
 **Associated Story:** Sacrifice of self and/or part of one's identity. Rejection. Possibly associated with Hope.  
 **Actions:**  
Use  
 **Note** : With the gun, you /must/ shoot yourself. The object will often not properly work unless it is aimed at your head. The cruxite projectile is propelled at a high enough velocity to cause bruises; it is suggested to shoot just to the top right of your head, where the hitbox will register a hit but you will not actually be damaged.  
 **[ Warning]**: Co-players who roll Gun are often hiding severe mental disturbance. It is suggested that a Heart player inspect them closely.

====Lighter====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** At first a creative misuse of a flintlock gun, lighters were quickly taken up by militaries and campers, and finally to assist in the inhalation of recreational substances.  
 **Associated Story:** So far the only two instances of people with Lighters were Flow players, but my sample size was too small to draw any firm conclusions.  
 **Actions:**  
Use

====Leaf====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** The original solar power collector.  
 **Associated Story:** Meditative energy. Patience. Associated with Life and Light, of course. See also Flower.  
 **Actions:**  
100% Break (specifically, by tearing it in half)  
 **Note** : Apparently people are very unimaginative as to what to do with leaves. To be fair this might be because the cruxite leaf is an extremely fragile object, having the strength of tissue paper.

====Mask====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** Used to disguise one's identity. (Something to do with Phantom of the Opera?)  
 **Associated Story:** Dramatic reveals of true nature. Hiding from part of oneself. Possibly low self-esteem.  
 **Actions:**  
Use  
Attack  
 **Note** : Are you sure the player who got a Mask entry object is who they say they are? If you yourself rolled a Mask entry object, are you sure you are who you think you are?

====Mirror====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** Polished mirrors have been used since antiquity for self-examination.  
 **Associated Story:** Taking a good look at oneself. If attacked/broken, associated with bad luck.  
 **Actions:**  
50% Break  
30% Attack  
20% Other (Looked into. Not sure if that counts as Use or Wait.)

====Musical Instrument====  
 **Frequency:** Common  
 **Origin:** Used to make music.  
 **Associated Story:** Extremely broad. Can represent following your passion, or doing what you're good at, or possibly both. Roleplay coefficient may be unusually difficult to maintain in such sessions.  
 **Actions:**  
98% Use  
01% Break  
01% Other (one kid removed the strings from his cruxite guitar and put them on a regular guitar)  
 **Note** : The specific piece that you need to play will simply come up in your mind when you pick up the cruxite object; no sheet music necessary.

====Paintbrush====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** Used to put paint on surfaces as decoration or for fun.  
 **Associated Story:** Creativity. Probably associated with Dreams.  
 **Actions:**  
Use  
 **Note** : The one we saw comes already loaded with paint. Just make a streak on the walls or something. It won't come off, but you can always delete and rebuild the wall later if it bothers you.

====Pinata/blindfold====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** I think it’s supposed to evoke children's party games in which one is blindfolded and must hit a pinata for it to explode and drop candy. So, kind of like imp-fighting while blindfolded and swinging wildly with a blunt meleekind, except in this case the treats should be edible.  
 **Associated Story:** Taking something on faith - "a shot in the dark". Trusting others.  
 **Actions:**  
96% Attack  
04% Assist  
 **Note** : Melee weaponkinds are the obvious choice here. If you've got one in a secondary specibus slot, it's probably your best bet.  
 **Note** : Ranged weaponkinds will shoot a cruxite projectile instead of ammunition. If the cruxite projectile does not make contact with the large "pinata" cruxite object on first aiming, you may find and simply touch the projectile to the larger object, and it will shatter immediately - the Game checks only for contact, not for any velocity. Good luck finding the projectile while blindfolded, though. (This implies that you can shoot at a target that will trap the projectile, and then pick it out to use. If anyone wants to try that, let me know how it goes.)

====Needle/Thread====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** Used for sewing and mending.  
 **Associated Story:** Making things last longer. Possibly associated with Dust?  
 **Actions:**  
Use

====Sand====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** It's everywhere on beaches.  
 **Associated Story:** Honestly, we don't have enough data to figure this one out. It happened only once. Oddly, it didn’t get assigned to a Sand player; it got assigned to a Dreams player.  
 **Actions:**  
Use (To build a sandcastle.)

====Spindle/Wool====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** In Greek mythology, the Fates (Moirai) spun a thread for every mortal's life, and then cut it at the mortal's natural lifespan.  
 **Associated Story:** Creation, order, prophecy. Often associated with Smith/Muse. If broken, associated with Dreams or (more rarely) Stage/Flux.  
 **Actions:**  
87% Use  
10% Break  
03% Assist  
 **Note** : You get to keep the cruxite thread produced! It makes a good bowstring.

====Token====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** A board game marker piece.  
 **Associated Story:** Letting yourself be moved by outside forces. Often associated with Fate. A coplayer is especially likely to have Dice.  
 **Actions:**  
77% Wait  
15% Break  
08% Attack  
 **Note** : The player with Token is rather likely to follow the will of the player with Dice. Keep an eye out for unhealthy relationship dynamics.

====Top====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** A children's toy that keeps its balance when spun due to gyroscopic forces.  
 **Associated Story:** The  Seer of Fate suggested it might have something to do with the Dreams aspect, although I have no idea why that’d be the case.  
 **Actions:**  
Use

====Umbrella====  
 **Frequency:** Occasional  
 **Origin:** To keep the rain off.  
 **Associated Story:** A shelter from the storm.  
 **Actions:**  
87% Use  
13% Break  
 **[ Warning]**: Umbrellas _may_ be associated with a session in which another player is a Cataclysm class - a coplayer with the Waste or Grace title co-occured with the Umbrella item in roughly half the cases examined. The player who rolls Umbrella could be more likely to survive the session, although our sample was too small to be certain.

====Watch====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** Used to keep time. Includes both pocketwatches and wristwatches.  
 **Associated Story:** Associated with Space and Time - Time is obvious, and the association with Space probably has something to do with historical use of watches to calculate longitude.  
 **Actions:**  
Use (wind)  
Use (put on the wrist)

====Wrench====  
 **Frequency:** Common  
 **Origin:** A tool used to tighten or untighten nuts on bolts. Adjustable versions known as "monkey wrench", as in the saying "throw a monkey wrench into the works" (i.e. screwing everything up)  
 **Associated Story:** If bolts are tightened, often associated with Blood, Might, or similar titles/roles. If untightened, often associated with Breath, Sand, or similar titles/roles. If an adjustable (monkey) wrench, associated with sowing discord in especially disorganized or chaotic sessions. For some reason, rarely/never given to those with Wrenchkind specibus.  
 **Actions:**  
64% Use (tighten bolts and nuts)  
20% Use (untighten bolts and nuts)  
12% Assist  
04% Break  
 **[ Warning]**: Users of monkey wrenches should be watched closely, regardless of whether they tightened or untightened the bolt and nut!

====Yarn====  
 **Frequency:** Rare  
 **Origin:** A thicker version of thread, used for weaving and knitting with faster and sturdier results.  
 **Associated Story:** Handmade items frequently have sentimental appeal. Alternately, see Spindle/Wool.  
 **Actions:**  
Use  
Break

+-------------------+  
| UNCONFIRMED ITEMS |  
+-------------------+

These are items that have been reported as possible entry items that were not in our sample. They are most likely Occasional or Rare. I have supplied some basic information about each item. If you had any of these as your entry item, or if you had another item that is not on this list, please let us know what happened in the comments! If there is enough interest, I might be able to justify a second, larger sample.

\- **Beehive** : A box or other container used to hold bees for honey and wax. Open the lid and remove a divider or comb.  
\- **Can** : Cans often hold preserved food. Often come with a can opener; sometimes opened using a hammer and chisel if no opener is available. If you have neither, try turning it upside down and rubbing the lip against a rough rock surface until it wears away.  
\- **Grout or spackle** : Home-improvement chemical compounds used to fill in cracks. Grout usually comes in a tube and is squeezed into cracks; spackle usually comes in a tub and is smoothed over cracks with a knife.  
\- **Mug** : A cup with a handle used for holding hot drinks.  
\- **Screwdriver** : Used to screw in screws. I assume that the associated story/tightening/untightening is roughly analogous to the one given for Wrench.  
\- **Tin of cookies** : That thing your grandmother used to give you at Christmas if she burnt the fruitcake.  
\- **Slippers** : As in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: click the heels together three times to Enter. Apparently only assigned to people who have red as their associated color? I don't even know.  
\- **Unopened 1993 limited edition Wolverine figurine** : Apparently let someone in when sold on an internet auction site. (This report came from Corpse Fiesta. It may be facetious. Actually, scratch that. It's almost certainly facetious.)  


**Author's Note:**

> the formatting for this one took Literally Forever


End file.
